Display rack



July 30, 1935.,

J. MENTGES DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec 18, 1935' 2 Sheets-$heet 1 INVENTOR,

J. MENTGES July 30, 1935.

DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. 18, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, M W

BY 7* r ATTORNEYJ.

Patented July 30, 1935 2,009,741

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY RACK John Mentges, Sidney, Ohio Application December 18, 1933, Serial No. 702,909

' '1 Claims. (01. 211-179 This invention relates to display racks, particujoined with shoulder rivets l3, formed on the ends larly to racks for displaying floral pieces at funerof the other rods 16. The lower free corners of als, although it can be used for displaying other the parallelograms are joined with ordinary articles. shoulder rivets M.

Undertakers very often are at a loss for means Intermediate the pivot rods H) the horizontal 5 to satisfactorily arrange the floral pieces at bars Ii carry rods 15, which rods are in the same funerals. Frequently they do not know until plane and in parallelism with the pivot rods it). nearly the last minute how many pieces there will Thus is formed rectilinear series of planar groups be, nor the size and form of the pieces. And of rods, which when the frame is open and in finally, they find it necessary to adapt their arservice are horizontal and adapted to serve as 10 rangement of the floral pieces to the surroundshelves. The open construction of these shelves, ings, all of which it is important for them to be that is, the spaces between the rods, are useful in able to do quickly and with as little fuss and disvarious ways in setting floral pieces thereon. For turbance as possible. instance, the ends of sprays canbe stuck be- With these points in view, the object of my in tween the rods. Wreaths can be set on edge on 15 vention is to provide a rack that can be folded into the shelves, and par of the Wreaths projectin a compact form, and which can be expanded so between the rods will help to hold the wreaths as to afford a considerable space for floral pieces in place. In many Ways this form of shelf is useof various forms. Another object is to provide ful. in addition to such shelves being very light.

a rack that can be made to display the pieces it The prop previously referred to, comprises two 20 carries to the best possible advantage, regardless rods 29, the upper end of each rod being secured of their number and diversity. A still further under the head of a rivet, I3, each rivet being on object is to provide a rack the structural members an end of the same rod I0. These rods 2d are of which are small and slender, and therefore injoined at their lower ends by a cross rod 2%.

conspicuous, but so arranged that the resulting These rods run diagonally across opposite paral- 25 rack is strong and stable, yet light and easily lelograms of the lazy tongs and pass through handled. guides 22 which are secured to the pivots B2 In describing the details of my rack I shall formed on the ends of a common rod it. See refer to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 2. It is therefore seen that as the lazy tongs Fig. 1 is an elevation in perspective of the rack are folded to the position shown in Fig. 4. the 30 expanded ready to receive a floral display; prop automatically assumes its position among Fig. 2 is a detail of construction, particularly the bars H, while as the lazy tongs are opened showing mechanism for latching it in open posito the position shown in Fig. 1 the prop assumes tion; the position it occupies in Fig. 1, enabling it to Fig. 3is aside elevation showing the rack somesupport the rack in position with the shelves 35 what less than fully opened, and horizontal.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing it practi- For the purpose of locking the frame in the cally fully folded. That is, it is folded, although position shown in Fig. 1, I provide a pair of pawls some of the members are slightly ajar, making the 25. These pawls are formed on the ends of a manner of folding somewhat more easily underlocking bar 26, which bar is carried on the ends 40 stood. of arms 21, one of which arms is pivotally at- Referring principally to Fig. 1, the rack consists tached to a vertically disposed bar H belonging of a stair-like frame provided with a prop which to each lazy tong. When the rack is opened the enables the frame to stand on the floor. The pawls 25 drop into notches 28 in rods 20, thereby main part of this frame consists of two lazy tongs, locking the rack in open position. The pawls are so called, united in parallelism by rods l9, and caused to drop into the notches by a spring 29. other rods, to be referred to later. Each lazy tong To prevent the lazy tongs opening too far, stop comprises pairs of bars ll, pivotally joined interpins 30 are placed in the rods 20 in a position to mediate their ends like the blades of scissors. engage the guides 22 through which the rods slide.

Then the ends of the bars are pivotally connected, A handle 3| is provided with which to operate the 50 thereby forming series of collapsible parallelolocking bar 26. To prevent lifting the locking bar grams. The pivots intermediate the ends of the too far stop hooks 32 are riveted to the bar and bars ll, indicated at [2, are shoulder rivets arranged to engage an adjacent rod l0, thus proformed on the ends of certain of the rods Ill. The tecting the spring from excessive extension.

5 upper free corners of the parallelograms are The horizontal bars II are shorter than the vertical bars I l,which results in the parallelograms being oblong. Because of this the altitude of the rack is increased relative to the floor space it occupies, thereby increasing its usefulness as a display rack for floral pieces. This disparity in the lengths of the bars ll echelons the bars I! when the rack is folded as in Fig. 4, which causes the ensemble to take, or to appear to take less room.

While I have shown and described what I now regard as the best embodiment of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction shown, as the scope of my invention is only limited by the appended claims, which are as follows:

1. In a display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism by rods that serve as pivots for both lazy tongs, other rods supported by bars of said lazy tongs in the same plane and in parallelism with said pivot rods, so as to form rectilinear series of planar groups of rods, a floor engaging prop attached to one of said pivot rods, enabling the ensemble to be stood on the floor with the lazy tongs in a leaning position of such angularity that said planar groups of rods are substantially horizontal, said prop cooperating with a guide carried by one of the lazy tongs which gives the ensemble stability while standing on the floor, said guide enabling the folding of the lazy tongs into a position in which the lazy tong bars are substantially parallel with the prop.

2. In a display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism by rods that serve as pivots for both lazy tongs, other rods supported by bars of said lazy tongs in the same plane and in parallelism with said pivot rods, so as to form rectilinear series of planar groups of rods, a prop attached to the ensemble enabling said ensemble to be stood on the fioor with the lazy tongs in a leaning position of such angularity that said planar groups of rods are substantially horizontal, said prop comprising a rod attached to a free corner of a parallelogram of one of said lazy tongs, and crossing said parallelogram passing through a guide attached to the diagonally opposite free corner of said parallelogram, and a locking mechanism adapted to lock the frame in open position.

3. In a display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism. said lazy tongscarrying series of planar groups of rods whereby they are united in said parallelism, said groups of rods being adapted to serve as shelves when the rack is supported at such inclination as to make the shelves horizontal, a prop adapted to support the rack at such inclination, means for attaching the prop to the rack, and guide means for the prop enabling said lazy tongs to fold into a position in which all of the bars of their parallelograms and said prop are in substantial parallelism.

4. In a display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism, said lazy tongs carrying series of planar groups of rods whereby they are united in said parallelism, said groups of rods being adapted to serve as shelves when the rack is supported at such inclination as to make the shelves horizontal, a prop adapted to support the rack at such inclination, means for attaching the prop to the rack, guide means for the prop enabling said lazy tongs to fold into a position in which all of the bars of their parallelograms and said prop are in substantial parallelism, and means for locking the rack in its unfolded position.

5. In a display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism, said lazy tongs carrying shelves which occupy a horizontal position when the bars of their parallelograms are substantially horizontal and vertical, respectively, a prop connected at spaced points adjacent its upper end, to diagonally opposite free corners of said lazy tongs, and

means for holding said prop in such position with reference to the lazy tongs that the ensemble will stand on the floor with the shelves horizontal,

said prop being of such length that its lower end engages the fioor when the bars or" the parallelograms are substantially horizontal and vertical.

6. In display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism, said lazy tongs carrying shelves which occupy a horizontal position when the bars their parallelograms are horizontal and vertical, respectively, a prop connected at spaced points adjacent its upper end to diagonally opposite free corners of said lazy tongs, means for holding said prop in such position with reference to the lazy tongs that the ensemble will stand on the floor with the shelves horizontal, said prop being of such length that its lower end engages the floor when the bars of the parallelograms are substantially horizontal and vertical, said lazy tongs being collapsible so the bars of their parallelograms are substantially parallelv 7. In a display rack, a pair of lazy tongs united in parallelism, said lazy tongs carrying shelves which occupy a horizontal position when the bars of their parallelograms are horizontal and vertical, respectively, said shelves consisting of planar series of rods between which articles carried by the shelves can partially depend, a floor engaging proprconnected to free corners of certain parallelograrns, guides carried by opposite free corners through which said prop slides, and means for latching said guides to said prop.

JOHN MENTGES. 

